This invention relates generally to a container for maintaining beverages in a chilled state, and more particularly to such a container retaining a refrigerant gel material.
Most drinkers desire to consume beverages such as alcoholic beverages and soft drinks when in a chilled condition. Typically, such beverages are stored in a cooled area such as a refrigerator or ice chest in order to lower the temperature to that appropriate for consumption. It is preferable that the desired temperature be maintained until the beverage is fully consumed.
However, typical rates of consumption of such beverages are usually at a relatively slow rate such that the beverages remain exposed to normal room temperatures for sustained periods of time. Consequently, the temperature of the beverage rises towards room temperature with a corresponding loss of desirability for the beverage.
Various prior-art devices have been proposed in attempts to alleviate the aforementioned problems. Several such devices include a double-walled vessel that includes a sealed chamber containing a refrigerant gel which partially encloses a beverage compartment. The refrigerant gel changes state upon being stored for an appreciable period in the freezing compartment of an ordinary refrigerator and is intended to maintain the beverage at a suitable temperature. Examples of refrigerant gel filled containers are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,680,330; 4,183,226; and 4,357,809. None of these prior devices, however, has proven to be fully satisfactory.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved refrigerated gel filled beverage container.